FOREIGN MINISTER SMITH'S OFFER OF ASSISTANCE TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L CANBERRA 000162


NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2019
TAGS: AF EAID MARR PK PREL
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER SMITH'S OFFER OF ASSISTANCE TO
PAKISTAN

REF: (A) 2008 CANBERRA 1137 (B) 2008 CANBERRA 0374

Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR JAMES F. COLE. REASON: 1.4 (C) AND (D)


1. (C/NF) Summary: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
First Assistant Secretary for South and East Asia, the Middle
East and Africa Deborah Stokes told Polcouns on February 18
that Foreign Minister Stephen Smith's offer of assistance to
Pakistan in its struggle against Taliban insurgents includes
an increase in military and counter terrorism training for
Pakistan's military, Australian police cooperation with
Pakistan law enforcement agencies and increased economic and
development aid to Pakistan's border areas with Afghanistan.
Stokes said that Pakistan press reports that Smith "welcomed"
Islamabad's Swat truce agreement with the Taliban are
completely false. End summary.

INCREASED TRAINING SUPPORT FOR PAKISTAN MILITARY AND POLICE


2. (C/NF) Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade First
Assistant Secretary for South and East Asia, the Middle East
and Africa Deborah Stokes told Polcouns on February 18 that
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith's offer of assistance to
Islamabad, made during his visit this week to Pakistan,
includes quadrupling the number of Pakistani armed forces
officers enrolled in military training programs in Australia
from 10 to 40 annually. She said that a small number of
Pakistani military personnel will also receive specialized
training in counterterrorism techniques by Canberra, both in
Australia and in Pakistan. Stokes noted that Pakistan's
military is currently focused on a head-on conventional war
with India and needs CT training for its campaign against the
Taliban (Stokes said that she told the same thing to the
skeptical Indian High Commissioner when the latter came in to
query Smith's announcement). She added that the theme of the
training programs is "train the trainers" to make the
Pakistan military more self reliant in improving its troops'
CT skills.


3. (C/NF) According to Stokes, the Australian Federal
Police will look to increase both training and cooperation
with its Pakistan law enforcement counterparts. She said
that areas for increased cooperation between the two
countries include money laundering, human trafficking and
counter-narcotics. In addition, Canberra is looking to
increase economic and development assistance to Pakistan's
border region with Afghanistan. Stokes said that the purpose
of the new Australian assistance "small in comparison to U.S.
assistance of course," is to assist and show support for
President Asif Zardari's elected government.

PAKISTANI PRESS REPORTS THAT SMITH "WELCOMES" SWAT AGREEMENT
"TOTALLY FALSE"


4. (C/NF) Stokes said that Pakistani press reports that
Smith "welcomed" Islamabad's Swat truce agreement with the
Taliban are completely false. Stokes added that indeed,
while Smith had expressed hope for a positive outcome from
the agreement, he had also cautioned the Pakistani leadership
that the previous "truce" they had signed with the Taliban
had not worked.


5. (U) Comment: GOA last year announced a doubling of its
development assistance to Pakistan to USD 46 million through
2010 (reftels). The assistance was generally focused on
health and education. Embassy will provide additional
details of Smith's assistance to Pakistan announcement as it
becomes available.

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